Slashdot Media Bias

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Russia To Rescue ISS Crew On Backup Rocket After Capsule Leak

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Russia said on Wednesday it would launch another Soyuz spacecraft next month to bring home two cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut from the International Space Station after their original capsule was struck by a micrometeoroid and started leaking last month. The leak came from a tiny puncture
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

The Guardian Says Ransomware Attack Compromised Staff's Personal Data

Last month, The Guardian closed its offices after being hit by a "highly sophisticated" ransomware attack. In an update to staff, Guardian group chief Anna Bateson and newspaper editor-in-chief Katharine Viner said intruders were able to access the personal data of UK employees. Engadget reports: They described the incident as a "highly sophisticated cyber-attack involving unauthorised third-party access to parts of our network," most likely triggered by a "phishing" attempt in which the victim is tricked, often via email, into downloading malware. The Guardian said it had no reason to believe the personal data of readers and subscribers had been accessed.
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

Microsoft Combat Goggles Falter as Congress Says No To Buying More

Microsoft won't be getting more orders for its combat goggles anytime soon after Congress rejected the US Army's request for $400 million to buy as many as 6,900 of them this fiscal year. From a report: The rejection of the request, in the $1.75 trillion government funding bill, reflects concern over field tests of the goggles, which are adapted from Microsoft's HoloLens headsets. The tests disclosed "mission-affecting physical impairments" including headaches, eyestrain and nausea. Instead, lawmakers approved the transfer of $40 million of those procurement funds to develop a new model of the goggles, Army spokesman David Patterson said in an email.
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

With PC Sales Down, Laptop Makers Turn To Services

The PC market is in rough waters, and it was for much of last year. Every PC maker except Apple saw year-over-year decline. Laptop sales are said to have suffered the most. From a report: This all made for a somewhat uncertain backdrop heading into CES 2023, the annual conference where tech companies show off the products they'll be releasing in 2023. Throughout the show, executives and representatives from various PC manufacturers acknowledged that the industry has a big task ahead of it this year: keep the laptop exciting. Some companies are trying to do that with goofy hardware things (such as Lenovo's dual-screen, dual-OLED, and touchpad-less Yoga Book 9i).
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

Apple Promises To Disclose More Details About App Removals

Apple has promised to enhance disclosures about why it expels certain apps from its App Store, following claims that the tech giant's secretive decision-making process threatens freedom of expression in countries such as China and Russia. From a report: Activist investors secured the commitment from Apple earlier this month, according to three people familiar with the agreement. Last March nearly a third of shareholders at its annual meeting backed a resolution calling for greater transparency in its relations with foreign governments. Petitioners led by Azzad Asset Management, a faith-based investor in the US, and British activist investment platform Tulipshare had called on Apple to give more detail on why certain apps were pulled from the App Store ...
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

FCC's Robocaller Crackdown Brings Stark Warning for Voice Providers

The US Federal Communications Commission is continuing its battle against illegal robocalls. In its latest move, the agency on Wednesday issued cease-and-desist warnings to two more companies. From a report: The warning letters indicate that voice service providers SIPphony and Vultik must "end their apparent support of illegal robocall traffic or face serious consequences," according to an FCC announcement. The FCC says its investigations show that Vultik and SIPphony have allowed illegal robocalls to originate from their networks. Each provider must take immediate action and inform the FCC of the active steps it's taking to mitigate illegal robocalls. If either fails to comply with steps and rules outlined in the letters, its call traffic may be permanently ...
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

JP Morgan Says Startup Founder Used Millions Of Fake Customers To Dupe It Into An Acquisition

JPMorgan Chase is suing the 30-year-old founder of Frank, a buzzy fintech startup it acquired for $175 million, for allegedly lying about its scale and success by creating an enormous list of fake users to entice the financial giant to buy it. Forbes: Frank, founded by former CEO Charlie Javice in 2016, offers software aimed at improving the student loan application process for young Americans seeking financial aid. Her lofty goals to build the startup into "an Amazon for higher education" won support from billionaire Marc Rowan, Frank's lead investor according to Crunchbase, and prominent venture backers including Aleph, Chegg, Reach Capital, Gingerbread Capital and SWAT Equity Partners.
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

3D Printing Reaches New Heights With Two-Story Home

technology

Concrete (and stone, brick) have only an R-value of about 5 or so, so you need to apply insulation on all exterior walls to prevent loss of heat (or cold). Its why wood is a popular building material where you can get it cheap - it has an R value closer to 20 or so, which is why wood framed buildings only insu
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

NASA's Webb Telescope Discovers Its First Exoplanet

NASA's Webb telescope has discovered an exoplanet, which is any planet that is outside of our solar system, for the first time, the agency announced Wednesday. From a report: The planet, called LHS 475 b, is nearly the same size as Earth, having 99% of our planet's diameter, scientists said. However, it is several hundred degrees hotter than Earth and completes its orbit around its star in two days. LHS 475 b is in the constellation Octans and is 41 light-years away, which is relatively nearby. Scientists are still trying to determine if the planet has an atmosphere. It's possible LHS 475 b has no atmosphere or one made completely out of carbon dioxide, but one option ...
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

Fossil Fuel Producers Must Be Forced To 'Take Back' Carbon, Say Scientists

science

Fossil fuel companies should be forced to "take back" the carbon dioxide emitted from their products, handing them direct responsibility for cleaning up the climate, a group of scientists has argued. From a report: The principle that the producer of pollution should pay for its clean-up is established around the world, but has never been applied to the climate crisis. Yet technology to capture and store carbon dioxide underground is advancing, and is now technically feasible, according to Myles Allen, a professor of geosystems science at the University of Oxford. "The technology exists
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

UK Treasury Considers Plan For Digital Pound

The government is considering introducing a "digital pound," the economic secretary to the Treasury has told MPs. From a report: The UK was committed to becoming a world crypto hub, Andrew Griffith said. And the government was "a long way down the road
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023

Exxon Climate Predictions Were Accurate Decades Ago. Still It Sowed Doubt

science

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: Decades of research by scientists at Exxon accurately predicted how much global warming would occur from burning fossil fuels, according to a new study in the journal Science. The findings clash with an enormously successful campaign that Exxon spearheaded and funded for more than 30 years which cast doubt on human-driven climate change and the science underpinning it. That narrative helped delay federal and international action on climate change, even as the impacts of climate change worsened. Over the last few years, journalists and researchers revealed that Exxon did in-house research that showed it knew that human-caused climate change is real.
Slashdot     Jan 13, 2023